AUWAHI: ETHNOBOTANY OF A HAWAIIAN DRYLAND FOREST. A. C. Medeiros1, C.F. Davenport2, and C.G. Chimera1 1. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Haleakala Field Station, P.O. Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768 2. Social Sciences Department, Maui Community College, 310 Ka’ahumanu Ave., Kahului, HI 96732 ABSTRACT Auwahi district on East Maui extends from sea level to about 6800 feet (1790 meters) elevation at the southwest rift of leeward Haleakal¯a volcano. In botanical references, Auwahi currently refers to a centrally located, fairly large (5400 acres) stand of diverse dry forest at 3000-5000 feet (915- 1525 meters) elevation surrounded by less diverse forest and more open-statured shrubland on lava. Auwahi contains high native tree diversity with 50 dryland species, many with extremely hard, durable, and heavy wood. To early Hawaiians, forests like Auwahi must have seemed an invaluable source of unique natural materials, especially the wide variety of woods for tool making for agriculture and fishing, canoe building, kapa making, and weapons. Of the 50 species of native trees at Auwahi, 19 species (38%) are known to have been used for medicine, 13 species (26%) for tool-making, 13 species (26%) for canoe building 13 species (26%) for house building, 8 species (16%) for tools for making kapa, 8 species (16%) for weapons 8 species (16%) for fishing, 8 species (16%) for dyes, and 7 species (14 %) for religious purposes. Other miscellaneous uses include edible fruits or seeds, bird lime, cordage, a fish narcotizing agent, firewood, a source of "fireworks", recreation, scenting agents, poi boards, and h¯olua sled construction. Nine species of trees (18%) have no recorded uses. In many of these cases, the wood appears to be a good quality durable hardwood for which there were likely ethnobotanical uses despite the lack of references in the literature. Auwahi has been greatly transformed by burning, grazing, and invasion by non-native plant species. As a result, Auwahi has had much of its original native shrub and understory replaced largely by a thick mat of introduced kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum). Many native tree species produce viable seed but few seedlings are found and fewer of these survive. Since the late 1960s, Auwahi has been the focus of protection and restoration efforts that continue to this day. Thus far efforts have had only limited success. "Every plant in the forest has a job, some trees have more than one job. If you cut down the forest, you get money one time. Then when you get sick you must go to the hospital in Honiara where they give you medicines that don't work. When you cut down the forest, you lose all the jobs in the forest. My brother can tell you the job of a plant even if you only let him smell it." Charles Orataloa, Malaita, Solomon Islands, 1993 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Acknowledgments II. Introduction III. Vegetation of Auwahi IV. Spiritual significance of Auwahi to early Hawaiians V. Cultural uses of leeward forests VI. Agriculture, fishing, and settlement patterns VII. Species accounts `A`ali`i 1. Dodonaea viscosa A`e 2. Zanthoxylum hawaiiense and 3. Zanthoxylum kauaiense `Ahakea 4. Bobea sandwicensis and 5. Bobea timonioides A`i a`i 6. Streblus pendulinus `Aiea 7. Nothocestrum latifolium `A¯kia 8. Wikestroemia monticola `Akoko 9. Chamaecyse celastroides var. lorifolia `A¯la`a 10. Pouteria sandwicensis Alahe`e 11. Canthium odoratum Alani 12. Melicope adscendens, 13. M. knudsenii, 14 M. mucronulata, and 15. M. volcanica Halapepe 16. Pleomele auwahiensis Hao 17. Rauvolfia sandwicensis H¯o`awa 18. Pittosporum argentifolium and 19. Pittosporum glabrum H¯olei 20. Ochrosia haleakalae `Iliahi 21. Santalum ellipticum and 22. Santalum freycinetianum var. lanaiense Kauila, kauwila 23. Alphitonia ponderosa Keahi 24. Nesoluma polynesicum Koai`a, koai`e 25. Acacia koaia K¯olea 26. Myrsine lanaiensis and 27. Myrsine lessertiana K¯opiko 28. Psychotria mauiensis Lama 29. Diospyros sandwicensis M¯ahoe 30. Alectryon macrococcus var. auwahiensis M¯amane 31. Sophora chyrsophylla Manena 32. Melicope hawaiensis Maua 33. Xylosma hawaiiense M¯ehame 34. Antidesma pulvinatum M¯ehamehame 35. Flueggea neowawraea Naio 36. Myoporum sandwicense Neneleau 37. Rhus sandwicensis `Ohe 38. Reynoldsia sandwicensis `Ohe mauka 39. Tetraplasandra oahuensis `Ohe`ohe 40. Tetraplasandra kavaiensis `O¯hi`a lehua 41. Metrosideros polymorpha `O¯lapa 42. Cheirodendron trigynum Olopua 43. Nestegis sandwicensis P¯apala 44. Charpentiera obovata P¯apala k¯epau 45. Pisonia brunoniana Pilo 46. Coprosma foliosa Po`ol¯a 47. Claoxylon sandwicense Uhi uhi 48. Caesalpinia kavaiensis `U¯lei 49. Osteomeles anthyllidifolia Wiliwili 50. Erythrina sandwicensis VIII. Literature cited I. Acknowledgments This paper is dedicated with much aloha to Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott, retired professor of botany at the University of Hawai’i at M¯anoa and, in recent decades, the leading kumu (teacher) in the study of Hawaiian ethnobotany. Much information has been obtained by conversations of knowledgeable individuals on Maui such as Gordeen Bailey, Robert Hobdy, and Mahealani Kai’aokam¯alie, whose family for three generations has had a deep aloha and an unrelenting interest in and knowledge of the trees of Auwahi, while working as cowboys at famous ‘Ulupalakua Ranch. This research was made possible through the courtesy of the Erdman family, owners of ‘Ulupalakua Ranch. We especially thank Sumner Erdman and wife Angie for their wholehearted commitment to conservation of dryland forests at Auwahi. Reviews of an earlier drafts of this manuscript by Ellen van Gelder and Jean-Yves Meyer benefited it greatly. II. Introduction Auwahi district lies between Kanaio district to the west and Luala`ilua district to the east, on the southern, leeward flanks of Haleakal¯a, East Maui. Geographically speaking, Auwahi district extends from sea level to about 6800 feet (1790 meters) elevation at the southwest rift of leeward Haleakal¯a volcano. In botanical references, however, Auwahi currently refers to a centrally located, fairly large (5400 acres) stand of diverse dry forest at 3000-5000 feet (915-1525 meters) elevation. Auwahi appears to be an old k¯ipuka of robust diverse dryland forest surrounded by less diverse forest and more open-statured shrubland on lava. The place name Auwahi literally translates to 'smoky glow' (Pukui et al. 1974). Emerson (1965:124) states, “Auwahi (a word not found in any dictionary) is said by a scholarly Hawaiian to be an archaic form of the word uwahi, or uahi (milk of fire), Kahiki-nui is a dry region and the wind (makani) often fills the air with dust.” The most unique feature of Auwahi compared to nearly any other forest in Hawai`i is the great variety of types of Hawaiian trees. In this report, 50 species of dryland trees are described. Most Hawaiian rain forest areas have much fewer tree species. Tree species of dryland areas are slow growing and often have wood which is extremely hard, durable, and heavy. To early Hawaiians, forests like Auwahi must have seemed an invaluable source of unique natural materials, especially a wide variety of woods for tool making (i.e. for agriculture, fishing, and kapa making), canoe building, and weapons. This paper reports a brief history of the Auwahi district including aspects of its vegetation, former habitation and agriculture, and cultural and ethnobotanical importance. The second part of this paper (species accounts) provides a brief overview of each of the 50 native tree species, reporting distribution, Hawaiian names, ethnobotanical uses, and status at Auwahi. III. Vegetation of Auwahi Probably the greatest vegetation change that has occurred at Auwahi in the past two centuries is the near complete loss of native middle- and understory species. Based on small areas of more intact vegetation, the former vegetation of Auwahi forest at 3000-5000 feet (915-1525 meters) elevation appears to have been a dense full-canopied forest with trees ranging from 20 to 60 feet (6-18 meters) height and with well developed middle- and understories. The understory probably was dominated by ferns and forbs, such as pala palai (Microlepia sp.), laukahi (Dryopteris wallichiana), p¯ohole (Diplazium sandwichianum), and k¯a`ape`ape (Cyrtomium caryotideum), sedges (Mariscus hillebrandii, Carex wahuensis, Carex macloviana, Carex meyenii) and grasses (Panicum nephilophilum). The middlestory was probably dominated by tangled shrubs, such as`a`ali`i (Dodonaea viscosa), `¯ulei (Osteomeles anthyllidifolia), pilo (Coprosma foliosa), as well as vines such as pioi (Smilax) and maile (Alyxia). The small leaved maile, maile lau li`i, (Alyxia oliviiformis), with all leaves less than 2 cm long, was probably extremely common forming a tangling mat of vines through the understory and up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) high into dryland trees. Today, however, Auwahi forest probably bears little similarity to that prior to human contact. Currently, in central Auwahi, vegetation consists largely of scattered individuals and small groups of native trees scattered within a pasture like understory of a thick mat of kikuyu grass. The terrain is sloping from approximately 20-30 degrees, comprised predominantly of thin rocky ridges and interconnecting gullies and slopes. Throughout, the substrate is extremely rocky with sparse soil accumulations. The catastrophic changes that have taken place in the native vegetation of leeward forests have been accompanied by the near wholesale loss of native birds and invertebrates. Only four native bird species occur at the site: the `apapane (Himatione sanguinea), amakihi (Hemignathus virens), pueo (Asio flammeus), and rarely the `i`iwi (Vestiaria coccinea). Of these, probably only the pueo is a resident species that nests in the area. The other three are nectar-feeding honeycreepers that come makai (seaward) into upper Auwahi only when the mamane and `ohi`a are flowering. The transition from this intact forest to the current degraded condition of mostly isolated trees or small stands of trees scattered in a pasture-like setting began apparently in the late 18th century.